Hello. I am living in Finland and I am senior citizen and amateur photographer. Few years ago I retired from airline business or more precisely, I was forced to retire with other 999 employees due to the company’s productive and financial reasons in 2004; so I was told.

First: The aim of my blog is to present my Finland thru my photos. Every post tells a story thru the set of photos with related text.

I worked for our national airline Finnair nearly 39 years. I did all kind of jobs one can imagine, like airline officer, IT instructor, Excel work sheet specialist, boss, chief of Ramp Control, manager of Load Control, making rosters, quality reports and programming. These are some examples of works I did in my airline. I started my career at checking and did my best.

I also calculated Balance Charts and made Load Sheets for all kind of airplanes types. I was specialized to Pan Am. That is Pan American Airways or PAA as it was called also, which does not exist no more. As You saw, I was so called ground staff, but I also flew during five years as flying officer.

I was lucky when I saw how airplanes were developing from 1966 to 2004. When I started my job we had in use DC3, Convair Metropitan 440 and Super Caravelle. in 1968 we got our first DC8, then some Fokker, DC10, MD11 and Airbus. Air traffic had huge development during these years. Of course there were some setbacks as Supersonics airplanes and huge collision of two Boeings 747 at Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It happened in 1977 and 583 people were killed in that accident.

Before leaving my career, I received the decoration due to my merits and services which I made for my company. Medal was granted by our president. I maintain my fitness by walking daily, eating healthful food, vitamins etc.

Spanish, not literally language, I learned to speak when I worked on Canary Islands few months. French I learned by reading French books during 39 years which I have about 1500. I also make video films. Many of them can be seen in my YouTube site.

Serious photographing I started in 2004, but as an amateur of course. I try to find different interesting things to be viewing. Because I worked in travel business, I can easily compare what kind of things are not generally found abroad. One example from this is our bell towers which are mainly from wood or stone or combining both and in many cases separated from church building. Also ships inside churches are not so general and wooden poor man statues.

I love reading and that is why on my bedside table there is always a book, mainly in French or Spanish. My music style differs generally speaking from that what people in Europe are listening. I love most of all South and Central American music and especially Cumbias. Cumbias are originally from Colombia. The music style of Cumbias is happy, danceable, tropical music that makes you feel good and what is the best, its has distinct rhythm. I like most of from those coming from Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Elvis is my favorite singer yet today. Example of Cumbia music

I love fast cars and especially I love driving fast, although I am senior citizen, on German “Autobahnen”, where are no speed limits. Maybe I am some kind daredevil. I have driven since 1972 since 1300000 kilometres / 807783 miles. So, as You can notice I am fond of cars and photographing. Also I love being in the nature, getting my strength from there, feeling myself free and feeling part of it.

What I achieved in my work employed by Finnair nearly 40 years? Two letters.

Every aircraft, just like cars, has its own Aircraft registration name. Normally they can be seen on the both side of aircraft at the rear part. The registration name for this airplane is: OH-LZO. The Finnish country code is OH. Above the cockpit there are two letters ZO clearly visible. So, they are two last letters of this aircraft.

Why there these last two letters of the registration name are painted above cockpit and who got the idea that they must be painted them there? It was me who got the idea. It was in the mid-1970s when I suggested this to the Finnair technical department this. The reason was that the person approaching straight ahead the aircraft did not know what its registry was.

This was a problem for several departments, for example for me, who worked in Ramp Controller and for aircraft maintenance technicians working in hangar. Without these two letters, one had to walk to the either side of plane to find out the correct aircraft’s ID, because it was not seen directly from the front. My suggestion was examined and found good.

Since then, my handprint has been visible every day around the world since I left Finnair in 2004! In other words. These two letters are only things, which I achieved nearly 40 years working for my company. Not so much! LOL.

Well, my camera is Nikon D300 and mainly I am using AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1:35-5.6 G ED. What I like in this camera is that I can take photos in “nearly” dark when using ISO 3200. That’s incredible. I bought Nikon in 2008.

Also I am using Panasonic Lumix DMC LX-1 from 2006 and Panasonic Lumix DMC FX7 from 2004. Those old Panasonic pocket cameras have Leica lenses and this is just what I appreciate. Quality seems to be good also today. But they are pocket cameras and they are missing many posibilities compared with Nikon or Canon or Sony high quality cameras.

thanks for dropping by… still sorting out pics from pompeii and naples but didn’t get to visit vesuvius.
your photos are awesome…. where did you take the shot of vesuvius from? btw do u upload raw resolution pics?

Good evening, Matti
this page is also very interesting. They give us that insight into your private life, and other places, you know. The hobby of your wife is very creative and I like that. The two photos, where I saw the fire, make it feel as if it warms. The naturalness of the colors radiate much warming power. The photo on your camera from 1952 surprised us very much. It is inconceivable to shoot with such a camera
in this modern age. It is amazing how things have been moving on. I am only
amateur photographer. I try my pictures, as well as I can imagine in my blog. Sometimes I do several takes of a shot and search out the best and I am very happy, if it please the viewers. My current appearance is specially designed for funny Tuesday. It is not a self portrait of me. It is someone with a funny story. I think I am learning a lot about this, when I look at your pictures and other images. I would not be perfect, otherwise it would make me no longer fun. I photograph everything I like and maybe others might like it. I liked all your pictures very well, color and motif moderate. I continue to try to visit your blog and am grateful that I could look at it. I think it will be seen very much. I wish you and Anja still the best and the health of your daily routes.
Dear greetings Christel Happy funny Tuesday….

I am mute from Your flattering text. The old camera is not in use, but it is a very beloved memory from my late dad! It is sure working, but to get film for it is a problem and who developes then films is another. If anyone who is reading this, should be aware that one the most important component of camera is the lens and in this camera the lens is high quality, do not let amount of pixels to bluff You by any salesman. More pixels means that their size is small. (Sorry my amateur talk).

Wow, Great Photography. It sure looks like your wife does a lot of the same kind of pieces that I do….If you check out my archives a little bit further back I show a little bit more beading. I take my camera when I leave my house, so it currently shows some of the community events that I go to. I love how you put larger images on your blog too…

Thanks for checking out my blog, I try to keep it current and post two or three times a week.

Thank You. As You guessed, I like beading, although I am not doing it, but my wife. Yes, now when You left comment here, I am not “loosing” You and I’ll check Your posts. I am posting about once a week.

Thank You. So nice to have comment from that photo. The moment actually lasted only few minutes and I noticed it by viewing out from my window. I had to go to cold, really cold weather, and take photo. In January sun stays over the horizon only few hours.

Too many wonderful photos to comment on, but each are lovely. You live in a beautiful country with so many interesting locations! I can’t seem to find the time anymore to browse other websites like I used to do, but I greatly appreciate those who make time to do so. Thank you very much for YOUR visit.

Great photos. I knew even before I read your ‘about me’ page that you love driving and photography. I have similar passions – I love riding motorcycles. My only problem is that I don’t like stopping to take photos when I’m enjoying a twisty road.

I understan You very much. Sometimes that is problem to me also and when passing nice place, I must come turn back as soon as possible.

Motorcycling is very appreciable hobby. It was about two weeks ago when I saw the movie Easy Riders. Inspired by it I sought one of my old favorite movie about driving from 70ties: “Vanishing Point”. It was fourth time I saw it.

Thank You. You have great photos too! I appreciate very much Yours care about driving on German freeways. This summer I promised to mi wife that now I am not driving fast. Well, what happened? On the same day (last day of our holiday) when our ship was leaving to Finland, I said to my wife on the road between Kiel and Rostock, if I could drive once fast. Okay, she accepted and then I took only 230km/h (my record is 242km/h) to my car’s speedometer. Wow, what a feeling again and this time my wife was not afraid.

I’m glad you stopped by by blog because now I know yours. You have had such an interesting life so far, by the looks of it, your adventures are going to continue for a long time. Your photos are beautiful. Thanks for sharing them.

How I enjoyed browsing through your photos and taking a peek into your life there in Finland! It seems like a wonderful place — maybe a place I would get to visit someday, I hope. You are a very talented photographer – thanks for stopping by my blog to visit!

Thank You. It was nice to read that You got some kind of idea how my life has passed. I am still going strong. LOL. Every one of us has a story to be told and here I opened curtains from my life a little bit.

Oh, my! So many wonderful images! What a great life you have. You have seen so much and I hardly ever get out of my backyard. Thank you for sharing all your great escapades in photos so that I may see more of the world than what I can afford. And, thank you for visiting my blog.

Thank you for commenting on my blog today, and thereby making me aware of this treasure throve of yours with all the wonderful photos. I have spent nearly two hours browsing your blog, and still have many hours of entertainment to come.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Eldrid

Hello. I like your photos very much, they are amazing. But the 4th photo is actually a corrected picture, isn’t it? I mean that you’ve used Photoshop. I first was impressed by that there might be so much snow in Helsinki, but my friend is a professional programmer and she’s said that it’s not just a camera shot, the photo has been ‘Photoshoped’.

Your friend is wrong if she means that I have “played” with Photoshop adding snow or something like that. First, I am using PaintShopPro X2 and only things I did to this photo is adding Copyright and covering the license plate. No more manipulating the photo. Take a look at my post:

I was going to bed as it’s already 4am in the morning here. But I wanted to see your About page, and that pulled me over. Looking through all the photos you posted here, they really touched me. I am very moved by your life and sincerity.

If I did not become a photographer, I would have become a pilot. Airplanes and the sky are my another great passion. In this sense, I admire your life spent 39 years in the airline industry. I truly do.

How great to make a friend who never met before and ever since, who shares some interests and communicates freely. Thank you for leaving a comment in the first time, and keep communicating with me. You are a great person.

Thank You. Very seldom I can read a comment written with so big emotion.

Next may I am celebrating my birthdays and my wife will give to me an unforgettable gift and it is that I can fly two hours. Well not exactly in real life but very near. This spring our aviation museum in Helsinki Vantaa- airport was donated by Finnair a flight simulator for DC9! This simulator was in use 24/7 during many years and there were trained pilots from all over the world in it. So, now my dream comes thru and I can fly. The price is high but I am sure that it is worth for it. I think that this is unique in whole world, but not sure.

Here is the link, if someboy is interesting to reserve a place in simulator and to fly during two hour monitored and guided by a veteran pilot. Of course there are lessons before “flying” and feedback after flying.

What a glad surprise this morning when I saw Your lovely comment. Thank You.

I love posts of Montucky. He is great writer very skillful photographer and great friend of nature. What more? I like his comments, because in them, I can see that he has studied my photos very thoroughly and associated text. Also he wants to know more in many cases and it is a delightful, that is what I love very much. If I cannot give good answer to him I am myself disappointed, just me. Many times I have talked with my wife concerning his questions and I think that we have solved correct answers.

It is amazing that You are neighbors and at the same time it is wonderful. Although my country is small, I do not know any other co bloggers in Finland.

Once more thank You leaving Your nice comment to make my day sunny this Tuesday morning.

Such a beautiful “about” page… Very very well presented ! I see we have a lot of things in common. I also worked a few years at our National Airport, I also used computers since a very very long time (I worked for one of the biggest american computer companies : HP). I also love photography and comics…
Isn’t that incredible… ?
Thank you so much fro your comment on my blog (take a look at my reply on today’s post, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the link I gave you there 😉

Thank You, really nice comment. So much common although we live in different countries. That is fantastic. I spent two days in Brussels airport when I taught the Finnair team there to make statistics and reports by using Excel worksheets. From that time is now an eternity. 🙂

Dear Matti,
Thank you for sending me the email today. I am very pleased. It is the first time somebody has contacted me from youtube. I was born 1944 on this little island (Isle of Wight). My work was making parts for helicopters, commercial aircraft (including small parts for Concorde)and in the Hovercraft industry. For a few years I made parts for telephone switchgear (Ancient technology). Occasionally I make model cars for my hobby. Very simple models like toys for children. Today I used my lathe to make Toadstool from branch of tree. It is just for fun. I have never owned or driven a car in my life. I used to drive motor cycles. I visited Helsinki because I had 40 year dream of learning more about Kantele. I adore the sound of this wonderful instrument. When Hedi played her Kantele I cried. It was like being in heaven. (Maybe?) I was only five days in Helsinki. It was very civilised place and I was impressed by the Finnish people I met: so helpful, so friendly and plenty of smiles. Will I hear from you again? I hope so, Kindest Regards, Clive

I have been visiting inside the Concorde. That is yet possible for everyone in Sinsheim in Germany. It visited few times in Finland and last time when I saw it I was working in Ramp Control. Just before its take-off, I called to my wife (15 kilometers / 9 miles from airport) that she has to listen to its sound. Everybody in her job asked that what it was and my wife told calmly to them that You just heard when Concorde took take off.

I guess that Your visit to Helsinki must have been great and more awesome that Your dream after 40 years came true – to listen to Kantele in live and to learn to play it. So Your dream came true as mine when flying in Flight simulator. Can dreams come true? Yes, dreams are coming true, but not at once.

Interesting that You have not owned a car, but motor cycles. My “car carrier” started when I was very young, as You noticed. Also my dream to drive fast came true in Germany where are no speed limits.

It was so nice to read that people here were friendly to You.

I wish a very happy Sunday to You. I’ll return some day with my letter.

A very informative and photographic blog! I am happy I stopped by. I have learned a little bit more about Finland just by viewing your wonderful photos. Blogging is such a fantastic tool to share our small parts of the world to each other. Thank you for sharing!

Thank You for Your nice comment. I guess that You a little bit info about my life and my world thru this page. Blogging is really fantastic way to get acquaintance with people in far away countries, their people, landscapes and what people have hobbies.

Thank You commenting. Yes, it is still working, but I do not have any film. I am so glad from Your comment about driving in Germany. “Auf den autobahnen” in Germany is the only place in the world where I can drive fast legally. We both enjoy the sound of motor and the speed. We visit in Germany every two year. Germany has many nice places and to get from one place to another is easy and “speedy”.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and for you wonderful comment! Your photographs are beautiful…I enjoyed seeing the little bits and pieces of your life and visiting places I have never seen before! Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Hello It has been a while since I visited your site. i have enjoyed the photos and saw the ice sculptures and the big pile of snow on top of the car something like my photo last winter-i think you get lots more snow where you live.hope you are well in health and spirit,jane

I congratulate you on your precedents in the aviation, your experience is admirable.
I have some friends who were commanders of Argentine Airlines and others of the Force It Airs that already they are not.
It will be a taste to read your wonderful blog…

I have been twice in Buenos Aires. First in the beginning of 70ties as a tourist. Second time in the mid of 70ties as an air line officer. Then we brought from Berlin, Philharmonic of Berlin, to Buenos Aires via Ilha do Sal which in the Atlantic Ocean. After over night we returned with some Russian seaman onboard. I have deep discussion with the official (supervisor) of Aerolineas Argentinas concerning our handling methods. Also we were in contact few times by correspondence. Maybe I could give some ideas of handling procedures to Aerolineas Argentinas, who knows? 🙂

It is a true plesure to go through your photos, one could spend hours studying all the detail. Does the the tourist agency of Finland know about your archive? Your photos attract tourists, no doubt about that. Happy New Year.

Thank You for Your visit and lovely comment. My About is a brief overview of my life and my photos. I am sure that no tourist agency knows my archive. Personally I feel that my photos are amateur photos, which is true. I am delighted every time when someone loves my posts and photos by commenting. Then I feel that my photographic trips and translations are not made in vain.

Thanks for visiting the Rowanberry blog! I was glad to find your blog in return – so interesting! I really enjoyed reading about your life, and your photography as well. I’m sure I will be visiting often to see what’s new.

[…] I met the most interesting gentleman from Finland today who commented on my blog, thereby causing me to go back to view his blog. And what a treasure! I am sure that today’s post is just one of the many things I will bring to you that I have found on his site: sartenada.wordpress.com […]

Thank You commenting. Well, the difference between Hawaii and Finland is huge, I know it. Both countries have their own “good and bad” advantages, I guess so. From my last visit in Hawaii has passed nearly 40 years. My first trip to Honolulu was when I made my first round the world trip. Many waves have rolled on Waikiki beach in the meantime. 🙂

Dear Matti,
Thank you again for so many wonderful photographs; especially of Finnish countryside and Finnish churches. I hope you will excuse me – I sometimes put your photos on my church computer as desktop background. Other people look at your photos with pleasure and ask, “Where is that” I explain it is Finland where I visited in March 2011. I also explain that there are many more beautiful photos on this website.
I left a comment here on May 29 2011. I always hoped I could visit Helsinki again. Yes!!! I have booked another holiday in May. I hope it will not snow like last time! Your photos have given me many ideas of where we shall visit. I am looking forward to being in Finland again, VERY MUCH INDEED!! Yippee!
Thank you again for your inspiration,
Every Blessing to you and your wife,
Clive Anderson
England

Hello Matti,
Thank you for your reply. I have looked at your Helsinki photos many times. Last time in Helsinki we were new to the city and everything was ice and snow. We saw some impressive things. This time I hope we will have NO SNOW or ICE. This time we can be more confident. We will try to visit many important places. It would be nice to see the Finnish countryside and some smaller towns but we won’t have much time. We will be in Helsinki for just seven days. This time we will try to get much more information from the Information Centre. I will also try to use the internet for planning our time in Helsinki. We are staying in Holiday Inn Helsinki West – Ruoholati. We are fully paid for flight, hotel and insurance. Yes! I am excited.
There is no snow or ice here. It is getting warmer. Some days are almost like summer.
My very best wishes to you and your wife,
Clive and Adi

What wonderful photos! We feel like we have traveled with you! We have been to some parts of Europe but we have failed to make it to Finland and your photos have driven our desires to new heights. Thank you for the experience. We hope to get up your way soon. Mike and Kim

My dear Sartenada! Terve!! What a treasure trove of interesting, beautiful, exquisite, never before seen photographs of Finland!!!!!!! I love them all!! I hope you get your photos published because I don’t think anyone has such a massive collection like you do! Take care and keep in touch! Sinun suomalainen kaveri, Sharon

That was so nice to read Your comment. I have never been thinking to publish my photos. I love to show them that people around the world can have a small idea from my country. My About me page is a good start to explore virtually Finland and then to find more details thru my posts.

Oh Sartenada, your photography is book worthy material! Seriously. Make a collection and send it to the publishers! We need more great photos of Finland to show the world!! So glad we met and take care! Hyvää viikonlopua! Sharon

This is so cool that you have seen so much in the world. I would love to see more outside my bubble. Sometimes it is very hard and when I get older more obstacles seem to be appearing . But I have not given up yet! I want to be like you and photograph the world and show other people there is always more to discover. Let’s go out and interact with your environment and others. So many people have settled for less and I don’t want to be like that yet.

Love your blogs. And of courses I like visiting churches too. So much history and art and energy poured in to creat them and even now to run them.

I am speechless from all that You told, so nicely. Thank You. Do not give up. If Your dream is to see our beautiful world full with marvelous things thru Your camera’s lens, do it. Everyone of us has our own style to do things, own interests, let’s us show them to others in our own way, then let’s us do it.

If I understand correct, Your specialty is buildings. The word building keeps inside a whole world, life, changes, history, society, people, professions etc. That world is great and worth for studying and presentation, to evoke thoughts in people and thus to start them to think changes in a positive way. Sometimes there are things which must be changed, but how, to whom they serve, how they serve etc.

I am very happy that You made a short “trip” thru my photos to my life and my world.

Wow, beautiful pics! I’d love to visit Finland one day. My favorite pics are the Temples of Luxor and Lake Pielinen, they are stunning. It is great to see how much you have traveled and how many beautiful places there are on our planet.

I am glad that You like my photos. Temples in Luxor are awesome. Last year we made a cruise on Nile and visited in many temples.

The photo from lake Pielinen represents a different world. That world is peaceful, without any noises. Only noises are birdsongs. The photo I took one morning when lake Pielinen was very placid. Many times we rowed on the lake and enjoyed us from the beauty of the world “far away” from civilization.

If You are interested, then take a look at my post in which I present the wonderful surroundings of lake Pielinen when we passed one week’s holiday there.

Thanks for visiting my website! Wonderful pictures. I am fascinated with your part of the world! Love, love, love the snow, ice, iceskating, wood churches, the lovely old buildings, simple lifestyle. Had a friend in elementary school who was Danish, mother worked for Danish Consolate, class visited Consolate in Wash. D.C. Beautiful, I’ll never forget it.

I have been using an inexpensive Kodak P&S for a year and a half and just purchased a Pentax K20 (four years old, just before video addition). I didn’t realize until I got on Pentax Forum site I can use my Dad’s barely used lenses from his old camera, thats when I decided to buy Pentax also about half price of Nikon. I’m jealous of all your pics, still using my other camera and learning the Pentax, seems complicated.

The old war road and your work background is reminiscent of my Dad who was a decorated WWII Pilot in the Pacific islands. His plane was a Corsair. He loved flying his plane. They still use them to fly under the radar in war zones. The percentage of pilots who left his squadron was very high, endless ocean with no communication after a few miles out, had to fly by controls, no landmarks! Pilots would often get lost and/or lose orientation sometimes go into a spin that was, almost impossible to come out of with that model, or just run out of fuel. No jumping out of those planes, props would kill you. If you did survive there no helicopters to fly low to find you, at the higher elevations it was almost impossible to see them, what my Dad described as trying to see an “inkspot” (oil on top of water, indicating downed plane).

It is very seldom when people tell that they love snow. To live in a country where seasons come and go is wonderful although I miss sunshine and warm every now and them. The best is to see variation of seasons.

I think that Pentax is high quality camera. If You have a used manual, then read it with care. I am reading it once a year and I find “new tricks” and setting from it. To reuse old lenses is nice things in these modern cameras. The fact is that Nikon lenses are very expensive. I am mainly using one lens which has capacity to take close-ups and which can show details from distance and which ISO setting lets me shoot photos inside dark churches.

I can imagine very well the war machine called Corsair. In one of our aviation museum we have plane called Brewster. It is originally American and with it we got many victories. Some day I’ll make a post from it.

Thank You very much for Your very interesting comment which warmed my heart much.

Your pictures are absolutely breathtaking! You have traveled extensively and show the famous world sites, but your pictures of Finland show the natural beauty of your home country. Makes me want to visit!

So nice that You checked my About page. I do it always before commenting that I know where the blogger lives, what he / she is doing, hobbies etc. You were the first one who noticed our house in winter. It one of my favorite photo although I took it with my first digital camera (5.0 megapixel).

I’m glad that your found my blog because it has led me to follow your adventures and excellent travel stories and photos. Though I’ve only been following you for a short time, I’ve enjoyed your posts. In recognition of your travel inspiration, I’ve nominated you to receive the “Adventurous Blogger Award.” Here’s a link for more information and for acceptance terms. Cheers.

I am glad that You liked my photos from all over Finland and some of them my life. What comes to 11/9, I remember the day very well. I was driving ho home from my work and heard it first time in my car. When in home, I started to channel surfing from satellite television. I yet have four hours of video from that.

Sartenada, thanks for visiting my site and leaving some comments. I think your photos are awesome and you have me already planning a holiday one day to see Finland!
I like the mailbox photo (as well as all the lovely ones of your yard) and wondered if you would like to post the mailbox photo on its own? The reason is that I have an Amazing Mailbox Quest on my blog and I am looking for mailbox photos from around the world. If you are interested in joining in, you can see the first post at: http://madoqua.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/amazing-mailbox-quest/

I am very happy that You liked my photos. I tried to find variety to show my “world”. Yes, in winter we have real winter with snow and ice. This winter I have been walking on ice which covers the nearby lake. Thank You commenting here.

HI, thanks for visiting my blog. Your photos are great, I loved the snow themed pictures and of course your photographs of Pompeii and Capri. You must have had a nice clear day to get that great shot of Vesuvius from Sorrento harbour! It was very humid and misty when I was there, and so not a very clear view.

I love your photos and I see your first camera. Do you still have it? It’s such an interesting piece and a collector’s item like mine no doubt. Your dog Saku was very handsome as were you 🙂
It looks like you had quite a career too. Was that you wake boarding? I look forward to seeing more of your posts. Your blog is amazing 🙂

Yes I have it yet today. Thank You liking Saku. He was very dear to me and I still remember him after 50 years. Yes, my career was interesting indeed. When becoming older I had to struggle from my place in the company. I solved it by studying to programming although I was old, but I had visions what my company needed and it was successful. One day our president awarded me a medal of honor. I am proud about it. My photo from wake boarding is not presenting me. I took videos and photos from it, because it looked so fantastic and the country was Germany.

Thank You. I am happy that You love my snow photos. Depending on whether one lives in the North or in the South our snowy winters from four months up to five or six months. Of course there are local variations. This winter was consecutively the third winter which was very cold and snowy, although wise men talk about global warming. 🙂

Love you photos and Finland will be a holiday next year, this year we are going to Scotland and Wales, but maybe next year…..Finland. I have been to Norway, Sweden and Demark but never got a far as Finland, so fingers cross and yes I will ask for your help when planing. Many thanks, Lynne

I love making plans in good time. It lets imagination and dreaming fulfill. We have not been in Scotland and Wales not yet, but who knows the future. I am sure that they are great places to study and to shoot photos. Yes, I will help, with great pleasure, You to find best place and easiest way to travel from one place to another. There are two things which You have to tell to me the length of Your visit and Your interests.

I have been driving around my country nearly everywhere. One good example is how much I have travelled by my car when seeking those Poor-man statues; 20000 kilometers, but this amount includes our car holidays and my car driving around from here and there. If I listen in our radio a place’s name, then I return to my mind if I have photographed its church. 🙂 Matti

Thank You for Your kind comment. Well, after retirement I have time to explore my country. It may sound odd that I have found so many interesting things in my country which I had no ideas. Camera and blogging keep me active and trying to make better and better translations in Spanish and French. Life is learning! My wife is active due to her hobbies, she likes beading and quilting. Just now she started to learn a new kind hobby for her hands and someday I’ll post what she learned and made.

Your blog is also high quality blog. I tried to make a comment on Hollywood sand sculptures, but I could not.

Beautiful pictures and wonderful blog! Never been yet to your part of the world but I would love to one day and experience seeing for real the beauty of your winter wonderland and those magical auroras. 😉

Thank you for sharing, Matti! I will have to go to FInland again and see if I can find “silent people” and carvings and old churches. I mostly saw relatives last time I was there – and Turku and Pori – maybe a bit north of there.

Thank You visiting my About page. As You saw it was great collection photos around Finland. Silent people in Suomussalmi, is one of my favorite place to stop when on the way to the North. Last time when we made road trip starting from Rovaniemi / Arctic Circle up to Norway (Kirkenes), we returned via Suomussalmi.

What an excellent collection of photos! You have an eye for the unusual and the eccentric! Finland emerges as a wonderful country which I must visit soon (although, this year, I think it will be Estonia, which is meant to be a little like Finland?). I am glad you like “In search of unusual destinations”, by the way (and the painted walls of Texas in particular).

You are welcome someday to Finland! Estonia and Finland differs from each other very much. I do not know which things You like, but”normally” our Northernmost part, called Lapland, is exotic to tourists. Exotic in winter and in summer. Lapland although it is in the North is not Tundra, but landscapes with extraordinary sights.

One year ago I made a series of posts presenting it. My series starts at:

Thanks for coming to my blog.. Your pictures are great. I like so many, I don’t know where to start! I too have d300 and 18-200..but I have the olympus OM DE right now because the Nikon is too heavy after an accident… Nice to meet you…

Thank You for Your kind comment. Very nice to read that You know Sinsheim. We love to drive our car in Germany due to its “no speed limits” on its highways – fast and exciting. Also there is so much to see, friendly people. Next spring we’ll go again to Germany making car trip there. My wife speaks German and me a little, so it is easy to visit. Several years ago I made work many trips to Aachen when my company ordered huge computer program from there to Helsinki airport.

Thank you for sharing your part of the world with us. It seems like you are surrounded by lots of creative crafts people (including yourself). Of course, those long winters lend themselves to creativity immersion, unless cabin fever drives you South….

Thank You reading my about page and commenting it. We have not visited in Toulouse, but I knew the town by the name, because Super Caravelles were made there. I hope that You took a look at my post A day as a pilot. In this post I am flying in the simulator of Super Caravelle made in Toulouse!

Thank You for Your kind comment here. Your photos are great and I love them. Next Friday on Friday 13th, 2014, I’ll post again from my favorite item “World’s biggest Snow Castle”. I hope that You’ll make the trip to it thru my photos.

Thank You checking my “About me” page. In it there is Finland in a nutshell, and my life. 🙂 when I was working, I travelled a lot of abroad, but did not have time to explore my country. Now I try to do so.

Impressive blog, outstanding photos, great experiences and memories. You’ve got it all here. Your country (well, it’s my country too now) is indeed beautiful and I marvel at the beauty that comes with every season. Thank you for sharing.

Good morning in Finland, after having admired your marvellous pictures and read your introduction I feel like having just returned from your country. I have also seen that you have been in Liechtenstein! I also love your foto from Luxor I remember that it was so touching to be there in the evening. I wish you all the best for your future blog jobs.Very best regards Martina

Wow what a comment! Thank You. Yesterday we saw landscapes from Switzerland in our television and I have to say that Your country t is so beautiful. It inspired us to visit it again someday. We have made quick visits in Zûrich and Genève. Few years ago we got lost on our road trip around the Lake Bodensee after visiting the Insel Mainau from German side to Swiss side. Happily we were helped by a nice guy in a small Swiss village to find the right road back to Germany.

BTW, I have few videos from our four day Nile cruise among my videos. Link from under the Blogroll.

I grew up near the Lake Constance and I love the place like the Mainau Island. It would probably be very pleasant in summer by bicycle. Anyway, I see that you made some positive experiences with Swiss people. Maybe, when you travel to Venice you make a stopover in our Canton Ticino. All the best. Martina

I’m so glad I came across this blog. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Finland, Perho, Haukipudas, and Hailuoto. I spoke Finnish as a child, lost the language, and now am taking a class to relearn it. I recently read the trilogy Under the North Star by Vaino Linna. I was so touched by Jussi in the first book, clearing the swamp with a hoe and his back. He reminded me of one of my grandparents. There is a statue in Venteli by Tapio Wirkkala of a farmer with his hoe looking out over the land. At the base are 3 words, strength, work, and honor. I plan on going there in June 2015 with two friends to see that statue. We are retired teachers and all have relatives scattered throughout Finland. I will enjoy this blog, with your wonderful pictures, as we continue to prepare for this trip. I have been to Finland twice, but this time it will be with more of a look at history. I live in Washington State. Will be posting again, thank you—Donna

What a lovely surprise Your message was to me. I am really happy that You found my blog and thus can see Finland as I see it thru my photos. I am sorry that I do not have photos from that famous statue in Veteli, but I have photos from Veteli’s church and its gorgeous poor-man statue. I also have photos from Perho church and from its poor-man statue. Here are two posts where You can see them:

Hi Simone.
Thank You very much. Well, thank You, but I am not interested, but visitors of my blog can follow my activities thru my blog. One among them is learning Portuguese as a new language at the age of 70. My mind I keep active by listening to the music and reading books in French, looking at detective stories from TV, no pre laughs programs. Training brains is important to me, food with vegetables, avoiding too much salt and sugar, vitamins including trace elements and not to forget to eat fish in which fish oil is important for body, berries like blueberries as dessert, active daily exercises outdoors, as walking, biking, hiking, hobbies, humor and positive attitude to life keep me “young”.

Balance with mind and body is important. We Finns have Sauna, which is awesome relaxing method. If Sauna, I mean the real Sauna is not known to You, then become familiar with thru my post:

Wow. I love your home in winter. Looks like winter wonderland to my tropical eyes. Such lovely photos. Loved the snow photos, the lake with clouds reflected on them, the rose…the list is endless. Thank you for sharing. You made me your fan.

Thank You for Your kind and praising comment. It was nice to read that winter is wonderland to You! 🙂 Sound really great. If You see my answer, then take a look at how we can walk on frozen lakes. It is real winter fun:

Thank You leaving Your praising comment. Well, this is Finland as I see it. Finland has many faces to be found depending of mans interest. The South offers towns to be explored. The Southern and Western coastline offer old beautiful small historic towns with wooden houses lovely magic. In the Eastern part there are wild nature and the Northernmost parts are hikers’ paradise in summer / autumn. In winter skiing is popular in skiing centers.

I am glad that You check my “About me” page. It tells from our life, Finnish landscapes, hobbies, history and culture. Thank You commenting and being my follower. Nowadays I’ll post only every second week. To prepare a new post takes long time with all translations. One of my hobbies is languages.

I can’t wait to read your next post! You put lots of energies in it and I appreciate your efforts. I am a language teacher and I love languages too but I find it easier to write my posts only in English.
Have a great day too 🙂

Finland looks just amazing! It may have to be my next destination 🙂 I work in aviation industry too as an OCC duty manager for an Australian airline. Lovely to meet someone with a similar work background and love for travel! Keep up the good work x

What a surprise to meet here another person working for airline business. I know indeed what OCC means. You are doing great job.

You are welcome to visit Finland. We have four seasons. Best of them are Summer, autumn and winter. Geographically our country is divided different parts. In the South there are historical places, West coast is plain, Eastern part lakes and in the North which is called Lapland is best for hikes. In summer months in Lapland sun is not setting down, which means nights are like days.

We have some museums which cannot be found nowhere else. If You like outdoors, then autumn is the best time in Lapland. You can meet roaming reindeers in the nature. Here is an example:

Sartenada, Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a wonderful comment. I find most visit and don’t leave a message, and that’s fine too, but I wish I knew what they took away from it. So, I’m forever grateful for your comments and a bit of your own history with the Pan Am airplane. All of your pictures here are amazing and that is putting it lightly, wow you have an artist eye with the camera lens. Bless you for posting such beauty for all of us to drink in and be able to take away with us through our own eyes. Take care and Happy blogging to ya…

Very kind and wise words. There is so much to see outside Helsinki. I have born in Helsinki and later lived in many places where I noticed that Finland offers so much to explore for years. Nowadays I live in small town called Mikkeli which is beautiful. Mikkeli is on the Lakeland area and in winter it offers great outdoors possibilities. For example we can walk, bike and ski on the Lake Saimaa’s ice. The experience is fantastic.

I love it! Such a new idea to us. Including details about what you are wearing are also really interesting to me as we are just learning to dress for the cold. I also looked where Mikkeli is on the map. We will spend Christmas in Lappeenranta on another part of Lake Saimaa. We must come again once it has frozen like this!

Lappeenranta is great selection to spend Christmas. It is famous in summer for its sand sculptures which are absolutely worth for seeing. Of course I have many posts presenting them and people around the world love them and even wait for my posts about them.

After one year from my comment on this post , I take the opportunity to add more appreciation for the whole blog…It’s fabulous!
In the meantime , receive my season greetings : Merry Christmas and Happy New Year , for both you and Anja…

Thank You commenting here. I appreciate very much commenting “About-me” page. I think that “About-me” page is something like business-card. Well, I checked “Homestay Finland” from Google and it gave results. What about couch surfing?

You are so right. I have huge amount of lovely memories. Always sun hasn’t shined and I have had very near one foot in the grave, but it seems that my life has still meaning. I am happy for every the day granted to me! Thank You for Your kind comment.

Really enjoyed scrolling through all your photos. I like the photos of your Opel Vectra. I drove an Opel Manta for over 10 years…. not a popular car in the US and hard to get parts… every little thing had to be shipped in from Germany. Your wife is very creative.

What a lovely surprise that You know Opel! When I was younger, I admired Manta due to its sportive look. I changed my Opel recently to BMW. It is cool car also. Concerning “About me” page, I think that it is something like a business card telling about its owner and business; in this case telling about the bloggers country. My wife will be happy when reading Your kind comment. Thank You.

Hello, friend, thank you for checking out my blog! 🙂
Isn’t it funny how ones perspective changes when they travel and experience what others experience when visiting their country – like their signs being in a different language! It was definitely a mental shift for me when I realized that my inability to read the signs is a way of everyday life for many who live in America.
The reason Helsinki felt so familiar is because I grew up in Germany, but I definitely do not pretend to know much about Finland! It is a beautiful country though and I’d love to be able to explore it further! i love your pictures, they are absolutely gorgeous 🙂

Thank you for your good wishes. If you’d like to support my travels feel free to email me for more information at merie.kellina@yahoo.com

Thank you for liking “City Geometry.” It was a pleasure to read your “About” page and to look at your nice collection of beautiful photos. I like the wide variety of subjects you feature in your pictures. I hope you have a wonderful year ahead! 🙂

You’ve been all over the world and taking lovely photos everywhere. What is the story of the silent people at Suomussalmi? I liked your wife’s craft with coffee bags–beautiful. And your grandson is enviably flexible! I couldn’t do that even at his age! I loved your sunset skies and your photos of fire and ice.

I am very happy that You saw my “About-me” page and left You kind comment. I always check people’s “About-me” page just to know more about the person whose blog I read. So, You saw a tiny piece about my country thru my photos from the South to the North and from the East to the west.

Finland is quite unknown, but it offers very much to everyone if interested. For example museum lovers International Coffee Cup Museum. Who could imagine that such a museum exists!

Hello Matti – your pictures are very beautiful. Finland is such a special place to be in – I miss living there. I am excited to discover more of the country through your pictures. I have still not visited many places in Finland and would so love so in the future.
Your wife has a very interesting hobby and the things she made are beautiful! I look forward to checking your blog more often. Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog so that I could find yours. Regards, Pooja.

Thank you exploring my Finland thru my photos! I tried to present briefly my country and what it presents for a tourist, because my country is quite unknown. Nowadays I am not posting frequently, but I try to make my posts interesting.

Lovely collection of photos you have here, Matti. Thank you so much for stopping by my wee blog and taking the time to comment 🙂 I’ve spent two wonderful summers in Finland, and worked there briefly, so I can honestly say it stands very high on my list of places to revisit.

Hello! Thanks for the visit to my blog and comments! I appreciate the feedback, since it´s my 1st blog and a new project! Hope the images are as interesting as for me, and that curiosity strikes the upcoming image of the day always!
I like this here too, knowing very very little about Finland, it seems like a great way to learn some more. Cheers!

Your blog is interesting and You have nice photos. We Finn do not know so much from Brazil neither. I had possibilities to visit Your country in the 70 ties thrice. Probably You do not know that in Brazil there is “a pequena Finlândia” called Penedo. I visited it twice / fantastic place. For example there can man dance every Saturday Finish dances on it club. There man can visit also Finnish Sauna. I give to You two links “em portugues” presenting Penedo:

In addition to Rio de Janeiro and Penedo I visited the very beautiful beach town called: Angra dos Reis. I will visit Your blog in the future and I am sure that my Brazilian lady who teaches Portuguese in my home town will be happy.

Muito obrigada!
I am actually from Rio and have been in Penedo but as a child and don´t remember it so well.. But now I want to go again! brazilian culture is so rich and so full of different cultures from the country in abroad that you are right, most of the people certainly don´t know that about this city. Very interesting! Angra dos Reis is great and actually the first photo of the blog where I appear is very close to that, in what we call Costa Verde. I’m glad you liked it! I hope he pictures, especially the ones in Brazil, will show more about this big and so diverse country as I hope to learn from yours as well! Thanks for the reply! 😀

Very nice. Thank you I wish that my Lady Portuguese teacher would read Your comment! She is from São José dos Campos and is remembering once visited in Penedo. In São José dos Campos there is headquarter of Embraer air planes.

Thank you leaving Your thoughts here. Sounds great, because countryside has so much to offer for visitors. We people love different things and I am sure that Finland offers something to everybody. This might be interesting:

Your post is very interesting and I am enjoying the beautiful countryside photos you share with us. What a wonderful country is yours! As you said there are so much to discover in the countryside, Nature is our mother.

Thank you so much for visiting my post. I am very impressed with you Spanish. I would be interested in hearing from you about your experience of learning Spanish from the point of view of a self learner. Would it be possible to talk with you about this? Perhaps we could exchange emails and share your experiences by email. My email is: info@spanish-tutor.info

Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos with us. They are very inspiring.

Thank you for the compliment Well, language learning is easy to some level, but when learning more it comes more difficult (my own opinion). One example: After studying Portuguese two years, I have started to read books in Portuguese having a dictionary in my hand. It is hard work to search every unknown words. At this moment, I have read one book and the second is at half way. It is annoying to find words, which are not in my dictionary and not even in the Portuguese dictionary in which there are more than 250000 words,

Sartenada, your photos are incredible! I found 2 Finland sunsets that I’d like to place in the Welcome Page gallery. Credit to you of course. If you object, I’d just remove them. Thank you again for your visit and comment on Before Sundown’s photo gallery. Christine

Thnak you for visiting my blog and rining your blog to my attention! I had a good browse around: great stories and gorgeous photos!! One day I will visit Finland and untill that day I will enjoy getting to now your country better through your blog! With warm greetings form Ohio, Johanna

What a wonderful comment, so happy when reading it. I always read people’s About-me page just to get information about the blogger and his / her country. About-page is like business country and that is why I included many photos from different areas, even very personal, that people who read it can get immediately understanding about the blogger and his world. Once more, thank You.

Thank you. I understand very well You. There is so much to see in our world, we love different things, some love big cities, some love nature paths, oddities, art made by man, summer, winter, autumn, Santa Claus etc.

I got to this part of your site from a comment you made about mailboxes in Finland on one of my posts. I liked the mailbox you posted above very much – so pretty! Your photos really make me want to return to Finland, because I unfortunately only got to spend one day there! I would love to see the castles, the different kinds of houses, and even the ice statues (although I do not like cold weather!). As a former teacher, I also would like to visit a school, because here in the USA we have heard that your education system is one of the best in the world.
Your wife has a lot of artistic talent too!
The poor man statues – what is the history of these wooden figures? How common are they? Also, do you have any pictures of hero cemeteries?

Thank You for Your kind comment. I noticed that You are interested in Finland and those things, which You can find here.

Those Poor-man statues are very close to my heart. They are unique in the world although they are not accepted to Unesco’s World Heritage list. I have tried once, but they did not bothered to answer to me. Sigh. In 2013, there was an exhibition of them in the world’s biggest wooden church. I made three posts from this awesome exhibition with explanation and history. I have made also 15 posts presenting them in their natural surroundings meaning inside and outside churches, which are beautiful wooden churches. Here are photos from the exhibition:

It is my favorite in Finland. It is situated in Savonlinna on the Lakeland area.

Winter is generally cold, but cloths helps. Finally, I give here two links from my post just to present winter wonders. The first one is unique in the world and the second presents Arctic Circle in winter.

Thank you for all the links! I looked at all of them! It’s too bad that I really don’t like cold weather, but anyway the winter looks beautiful! I wanted to go to an ice bar while I was in Finland or Sweden, but I didn’t get a chance to go. Some day!! By the way, the furs on those beds in the ice hotel do look really warm, but just one problem – once I get cozy and warm in that bed, I would never want to get up!!

I am glad that You can refresh Your French language. Thank You praising my blog. I make new post only once in two weeks, but maybe they are quality posts. There already very much information and more will come.

Its true though > I met someone in Brighton UK who had a house like your blog. Filled with interesting things shoved away all over the place in spare rooms, cupboards and on shelves filling every conceivable space. I loved it and could never get bored when I stayed there. And what is a house > an extension of what that person is like at heart. Each blog I come across has its own distinct personality and as soon as I come to this one it immediately speaks volumes. Guo Ni Hao Yun from China ha ha

Fantastic photos, wonderful introduction, lovely blog, Sartenada. I only just visited here for the first time today, and am looking SO forward to learning more about Finland and enjoying your terrific photos. I especially love the ice sculptures (we have nothing like this in California) in your gallery here. Thank you so much. 😀

I don’t know what that wooden carving is but you have some great photos here and I would love you to submit a few to my Monday Mystery. You can email them or write a guest post, whichever you prefer. And I look forward to seeing Helsinki for myself this summer!

First: it is Burl, Gnarl. 🙂 Its form was human face without any huge carving. I found it in the town called Savonlinna which is famous for it’s Medieval castle of Olavinlinna. Helsinki is beautiful in summer, but as You noticed, Finland offers “hidden gems” for the traveler who wants to have experiences.
Because Finland has 187 888 lakes, it is natural to make a cruise on one of its lakes. Example from Mikkeli: Cruise to Rock paintings. I tried to comment to Your post in which there was BMW Isetta, but I could not. I have many photos from it and this has air bag! Think about it. Vintage cars.

Thank you for Your praising comment, which warmed my heart. You are, rotated and trained all the time! I never bored my job, because there were always something new to learn. There were three highlights in my job. 1. Working as a delegate in Spain. 2. Five years as flying officer. 3. I took part in computer Project which project lasted 2½ years including numerous training trips to Aachen, Germany.

Thank You for Your kind comment and having interest in my “unknown” country. It is a great joy to me who has tried to present this country to those who know the rest of world, but never thought in their mind visit Finland.

Thank You for Your kind comment about my dog and me. It warmed my heart. I had many memories from it, it was very wise, and it was mine! I am very glad that that you took a tour of my quite unknown country thru my photos.

Very well. Google can translate short sentences to Finnish quit good, but long sentences it cannot. Sometimes translations are understandable, but not always. Finnish is one of the most difficult languages in the world.

I’ve been enjoying my self with a cup of coffee looking at your pictures! And for a while there, I was imaging I was looking in a mirror in more ways than one! Figured you’d be just about my age, but missed with about 3 years 🙂
And – you’re probably driving a bit faster than me (looking at the HP’s 😉 ) and I discovered that I’vee really been missing out on Finland. (Now it’s a bit late) Thought for a while I had you located – geographically – but after a while I discovered
you’d been ‘all over the place’! (Even at North Cape) And as myself, you’ve stared this remarkable hobby of ours in the early 50’s (like me)
Let me know if you’re planning to visit Norway again! And I’m pretty sure you will be visiting my blog again. Please open and use the ‘Index’ actively! It’s gonna be much easier on you!
I don’t have the time to follow many bloggers as I use my timeshoting my own pictures, but this time I’ll make an exeption.

Thank You. Yes, I am old or I love more the expression “senior citizen”, but I am very active and my wife inspires me with my blogging. We make together many road trips here and there in Finland and thus having new experiences to us.

I have been lucky to see the other Finland than only the capital Hellsinki during 30 years. It has enriched our perspective to see the life. Next autumn we will move back to Helsinki where we are born. This does not end my posts presenting countryside in Finland. Our summerhouse is in the midway of Finland and it helps us to make road trips. We love very much the northernmost part (Lapland) of our country. Especially we love to hike on in Lapland on its fells where reindeer roam freely. Our hikes are only day hikes, but they require enough energy, which keep us in good conditions.

I said I had never been to FInland. That’s not entirely true! (I’ve started getting problems with a fading memory (due to long term medication), but I did once wnter into FInland from ‘Skibotn’ in northern Norway – tenting. There we met the finnish mosquito by the millions! (We’ll never ever forget!) I notice that you also seems to have forgotten all about them? 🙂 But my experience with Finland is limited to 48 hours and a couple of buckets with cloudberries!
Our week has started with snow particles in the air and temperatures around zero! Quite unexpected!

Very nice. Finnish mosquitos are very active, I know it and that is why we generally visit those northern areas in late -Augusts / in the beginning of September. Few cold nights destroy them quite efficiently. 🙂

I can vividly remember mounting our green tent, but turning around it suddenly seemed a light grey?
Looking closer it proved to be a layer of mosquitos 5 cm deep covering the entire tent! I never ever experienced anything like it anyewhere in the world! And it was quite a procedure how to enter the tent without the company of an batallion of mosquitos!
But that’s behind us. We survived! 🙂

You are so kind when praising my photos and loving my wife’s handicrafts. Thank You. Within two weeks, I will publish awesome crochet post. Even You will be amazed. I found it on our road trip, huge and about 1000 pieces colorful crochet.

Hello Matti! Thank you for stopping by my blog and giving me a chance to discover yours! You are a very interesting and gifted person! Your wife also makes beautiful things. I hope I can visit Finland again, for a longer time.

So kind and praising words. Thank You. Personally, I find two different Finland, winter and summer. Same places are very different looking in winter and summer. One of my favorite season is also autumn. It is the best time to make short hikes on our Arctic fells and admire reindeers freely roaming there. Because we have huge amount of lakes, it is natural make short cruises on our lakes. I am very glad that You left Your comment.

Thank You. Now You have a tiny idea about what my “unknown” country offers. 🙂 Finland has mainly two faces and I mean with it Winter Finland and Summer Finland. The third one is autumn, which offers in the North far beyond the Arctic Circle gorgeous hikes on our Arctic fell among freely roaming reindeers.

You know how much I LOVE your blog! I’d like to invite you to be one of our 35 distinguished interviewees to The Hieno! X Suomi 100 interview series that has been officially endorsed by the Prime Minister’s office on “what is Finnishness” (More details here: http://www.thehieno.com/solutions)

So far, Pekka Haavisto, Minna Parikka, Alf Rehn, Karoliina (of Finnish Nightmares) have agreed, just to name a few of our interviewees!

Please, let me know what you think! 🙂 I think your wife and yourself are two of the best bloggers who represents Finland very, very well online. If you’re agreeable, then I can send you an email with the questions by tomorrow. (remember to let me have your email address too)

Dear Sartenada, Even though I’ve lived in Finland for many years. You’ve presented Finland in your photos I’ve never seen before. It makes me want to go back to Finland and visiting those places in your magical photos. Thank you. I will follow you through your journeys.

I am very humble before Your praising words. Thank You. I can say, that I know my country quite well without any exaggeration. You are welcome again to Finland and to find its “hidden” gems. You can ask tips / routes / places / sights from me any time.

Thank You for Your praising words. In My country, although it is quite unknown, there are very much to see and to experience. We are blessed with real winter and white nights. Both of them are experiences for us too. I prefer nightless nights, because “day “continues although it is night. Lapland, where hiking on our Arctic hills is an experience, because reindeers roam there freely.

I read about your background. Great stuff. Just to let you know, Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this yr. We’re young,but the native Indians and Inuit were there before us.http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1468262573081

Thank you. You are celebrating its 150th birthday this year and we are celebrating our 100th independency. Very good. Congratulations. I had possibility to tell my thoughts in The Hieno, which is the official partner of the Finland 100 independence programme: What is “Finnish-ness”? endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Office. There were selectetd twenty bloggers and I am one of them. Here is my story:

How nice that You read my About-me-page and noticed my grandson’s photo. It is amazing how supple he was, but it may be due to the ice hockey which he played when was young. Now you know what my country offers for visitors. Thank You.

Thank you for stopping by my blog Sartenada. You have a wonderful blog here. Very informative……something you are obviously passionate about. Great to connect with you and looking forward to learning a bit more about Finland. Lorelle 🙂

These photos are incredible!!!! They give a very nice overview of your life and your country! Your wife’s art is special and beautiful. A nice hobby, indeed! 🙂 I certainly would love to visit Finland one day and your photos make me want to do this sooner than later. In the summer, though. While all the snow and ice features are very pretty, my body does not like cold weather. 🙂

If You visit in summer, then do not stay long time in Helsinki, because our countryside offers so much to see and experience. For example: Midnight sun cruises on our lakes onboard of some old historic steam ships, Lakeland with many beautiful lakes, very special museums, things which only exist in Finland, like Poor-man statues and Lapland (northernmost part of Finland) is wonderful place where You can hike on Arctic hills among freely roaming reindeers. Thank you for Your kind comment. Welcome to my country.

You have such a rich story to tell – both of your past and what you are currently doing. You are obviously a ‘rolling stone’ … not content to stand still. Looking forward to seeing more of your photography and learning more about you and your beautiful country.

Thank You for Your kind words. I am the one who thinks that if brains are okay, then body is also! 🙂 I maintain my brains fresh by doing translations, shooting photos and reading very much. I have about 1500 books in French. The tour of reading them all, takes about 10 years and now I have started the fourth tour. 🙂 We walk daily, if possible. In a month that is from 120km / 75mi to 160km / 99mi approximately. It is not so much, but we walk as easily as or better than many younger people do. My wife’s hobby is handicrafts, like beading, quilting and knitting. Her hobby language is German.

I’m always in awe of you Europeans who have multiple languages – or as you put it, your ‘hobby languages’. North Americans are notoriously unilingual.

I too believe strongly in keeping both the mind and the body healthy. I don’t walk everyday, but I have a hiking partner and since we retired in 2011, we’ve completed 2 long distance trails – one 900km and the other 280km. We’re currently working on the Trans-Canada Trail which treks across the entire country and is about 24,000km. I figure it will take us the rest of our lives 🙂

OMG. Congratulations! We love only day hikes; maybe we are too old. 🙂 In Finland, we have 39 national parks with varying length of routes. Maybe I have said this earlier, but in Lapland, reindeers roam freely among us while hiking. This is just we love. I appreciate Your comment very much. Thank You. Matti

When speaking many languages travelling is easy. 🙂 My country is really quite unknown. As You noticed, it offers for a visitor many kind of possibilities to find things in which he or she has an interest and new which exist only in Finland. Thank You for praising comment.

Helen sounds great. The day when You have possibility to explore Lapland, then You are in paradise, maybe cold sometimes, but anyway. Are You in in February in Finland? If, then I had suggestion for unique happening. Matti.

P.S. recently we have had possibility to see in our TV German (Krimi): Letzte Spur Berlin. 🙂

Thank You. Yes we are great friends of German Krimis. We have been following: Der Alte, Bella Block, Siska, Ein Fall für zwei, Stolberg, Derrick, Staatsanwalt, Der Kriminalist for example. My wife knows German. She has ordered during ten years Frei Zeit Revue, in which she solves all crosswords as well! I read German in school, but I have forgot much of it and that is why I watch German Krimis. 🙂

i am more in english or Scandinavian crime stories. i wish i could watch some Finnish tv shows.
you are right, watching something in another language is a good opportunity to learn that language!
guess there are also some german shows on Finnish tv?
when i spend my very first evening in Helsinki in 2014 i was in a small restaurant in the city and they had tv on and it broadcasted a german show about an emergency car. i had never known about that show, never watched it on german tv. probably my mom would have known about it.

Wonderful blog and beautiful photos. I hope to go back in the next couple years to visit my fiance’s family 🙂 I visited Helsinki, Jyväskylä, and Viitasaari. We hope to go to Lapland for Christmas one year.

Thank You for Your kind comment. I am glad that You love Finland. When we drive from Helsinki to Oulu, then our road passes thru Jyväskylä and Viitasaari. Long time ago we spent a night in Viitasaari visiting its church for example. Have a good day.

I’ve visited your blog so many times but never read your About-page before. I worked for Finnair, too – hello there almost-collegue! 🙂 (I’ve also worked for 3 other airlines, a hotel, and incoming travel agent, an airport operator, etc etc…) I was always fascinated by aviation, the atmosphere of an airport, the beautiful aerial views when flying, the airplanes themselves (though I’m not interested in technical details)… There was just something special about being part of all that, feeling like I really belonged there! Now, many of those jobs have gone abroad and I’m working in a completely different industry, but I do miss my airline roots so much. (Except right now I’m on maternity leave.) Anyway, those personnel cuts airlines like Finnair have made seem so unfair. In 2004, as you and 999 others were let go, I was hired. Doesn’t seem fair, does it? Anyway, happy Independence Day! 🙂

Wow. My hat! I am surprised and very glad when reading Your comment. Depending in which department You worked after me, it might be possible that You have heard my pseudonym in Finnair Sir Vili. I had own Intranet pages in which I helped and assisted for those Finnair workers who had problems in using Excel. Its name was Sir Vilin Excel vinkit ja vihjeet. It was very popular, because in half a year more than 18000 visitors search ideas and tips from it.

Many departments got incredible help from me. For example Technical department. Person who made statistic, he had to work two weeks to get them published and after my assistance, he worked only two day with the statistics. Same kind situation was flight attendants. Their statistics took about one week and after my help three hours.

In this post in the comment to Emily, I tell a thing which I have never talked before.

I can’t remember about the excel, but I can definitely imagine how helpful it must’ve been! Also read your comment in the post you linked, that is a concrete achievement! Good for you! 😀 I will have a look next time we fly! -Snow-

Wow, beautiful photos here Sartenada, I am in awe. Thank you for sharing a piece of your life with us. I see we share a love of photography and nature so I can relate! And how wonderful is all of that snow, we don’t get much of it where I’m from 🙂

Thank You for Your kind words which made me glad. Now You know that Helsinki is Helsinki, but outside it, there is the most beautiful part of my country. It offers many kind of experiences for everybody. Welcome.

I am sorry that I have to read that you lost your work (forced to retire)! But your still a busy man 🙂 That’s good, I think. I see here a lot of wonderful pictures! My husband would like the pictures with the steam-locs (trains), he is also fascinate about F-16 fight-airplains! In his younger years his dream was to be a F-16 pilot, but he had bad eyes. I also see that you have been to visit Brussels. I’m from Belgium, but I live more at the coast-side 🙂 It was interesting to read your blog and to look at your pictures, thanks for sharing!
Best regards, Heidi

Thank You visiting this post, which is important to me. I have photos from steam locomotives, but not yet made a post of them. It is “funny”, that our dreams do not come true. Mine was to become commercial airline pilot or rally car pilot. I did not have enough money. Anyway, my life has been interesting and I am pleased.

This museum is gorgeous in Finland and it offers a unique airplane. Maybe You husband likes it:

There are dreams to fulfil and dreams that we can’t fulfil. But enjoy life with whatever life will bring to you and us… 🙂 It would also be interesting for my husband to see more pictures of the steam locomotives. My husband have a miniature railway with steam locs and other trains that transport within a landscape who I and my husband builded (but most of all did I). It’s his hobby, but I help with the scenery 🙂

Wow. I have never seen a miniature railway live. Must be awesome hobby. Okay After my winter photos, I will make post about my steam locomotives. During winter, I have mainly winter / snow photos. Next time for example I show a winter park for kids with many activities. Later an annual reindeer race for everybody.

Oh, how glad I am when reading Your kind comment. Especially that You read my about-me-page, which offers “huge” amount information about my life and Finland and thus feeding imagination about what to find in this quite unknown country!

Hei Matti! You just left me a comment on my latest post. I would like to ask you, in your professional opinion, do you think I revealed too much about the ID benefits? 15 years ago we weren’t supposed to talk about them, but now anyone can find a vast amount of information about them online, so the secret’s out anyone. I wrote my post last night, was happy, and this morning started to wonder if maybe I should delete the parts about ID benefits. What do you think? Was I being tacky? Thanks! 🙂 -Snow-

Wonderful photos and they make me want to re-visit Finland. I have only been to Helsinki and that for only 4 days on a side trip from Sweden. I bought some beautiful glass there which delights me every time I look at it.

Thank You for Your kind comment. Due to seasons, we can say that we have two seasons summer and winter. Autumn in the beginning of September is beautiful when nature is multicolor. Summer offers possibilities to visit places which are not open in winter, but on the other hand winter offers possibilities to visit places which are intended only for winter. Such are for example World’s Biggest Snow Castle, reindeer rides at the Arctic Circle or Reindeer race in the town of Oulu, skiing and skating. Because we have big amount of lakes, they offer possibilities to make cruises on them. Best cruise time is in Mid-summer. Here is one example of a cruise: Cruise to Rock paintings. This Cruise shows our lake culture by the lakes and having own cottages with Sauna. Ten sun sets late or in the north it shines all the day, which means that nights are white nights. It is awesome experience. There are lake cruises, between some towns also which offer “hop on hop off” possibilities. At the Arctic Circle You can meet Santa even in summer. Here are winter photos: Santa Claus Village at the Arctic Circle

Travel in Finland is easy. You can travel by bus everywhere, by train connections are fast and in night trains there is possible to spend a night in a cabin with shower for example. Our fly routs are between many towns covering whole Finland. Of course, biking is possible, because You can hire bikes everywhere.

Our wooden churches on countryside offer unique poor-man statues outside or inside churches. Here is first post of tree presenting some of them in world’s biggest Church: Statues of Paupers1 .

Hiring a car gives possibility to see in short time places (gardens, castles, churches, Sand sculptures all the long summer, special statue parks like this one Wacky statues etc.) If You hire a car, then drive side roads, because it is just there where to find a real Finland. Our countryside is beautiful, but You do not see it when driving on motor roads. We have some gorgeous museums which are rare elsewhere, like Mechanical Music Museum and many national parks. This park I have visited many times Koli in Mid-summer and this one which is situated in Lapland (northernmost part of Finland) North of the Arctic Circle 3 There You can make day hikes (lasting few hours) or spend a night in the wilderness in a cabin. It is my favorite national park.

Love all your photos and blogs. What an interesting life you have led – and are still living if the blogs are anything to go by. Good luck with everything, keep on photographing interesting things and scenes, keep on blogging and keeping us enthralled by the correct use of a good camera.

Thank You visiting my blog and leaving Your kind comment on my about-me-page. I always seek interesting stories about my country. Sometimes I will show photos of my travels. Nine years blogging in WordPress and before it few years in Blogger for example.

Sawadee Kha Khum Matti,
as they say here in Thailand where I have been living as an expat for three years(so far). Thank you so much for liking my video blog of the churches from my journeys (https://true-travels.com/2018/11/08/peaceful-moments-churches/) Much apprecciated and your info on churches in Finland.

I love your blog and look forward to reading up more of it soon. It sounds like we have similar interests and photography styles, I currently use a Canon 70D with an ultra wide angle lens along withh my Canon 18-135mm stm . My “Pocket Camera” you will be delighted to hear is my much loved and used Lumix LX3, which I adore and won’t part with! It has produced some of my favourite pictures and yes it still has the beautiful Leica lens.

Thank You leaving Your very kind comment. I started my digital photography with Panasonic Lumix cameras. I loved them. in 2008 I got Nikon D300. Now I am using Nikon D750 with Full Frame sensor. I have only one lens and in some situation, it causes me small problems. It is Nikkor 28-300. This You can see in the beginning of December when I will publish a post presenting Alpine model railway exhibition. This post has 20 Nikon photos and 28 Huawei P20 professional photos. Huawei is my newest phone and it is awesome.

Hello! Great story of yours and what a wonderful adventure! The pics are awesome too.
We’re so glad to stop by on your blog. Finland is kind on my travel wish from so long, but it’s so far away from where i am right now. Hope someday i can travel there… Greetings from Indonesia 🙂

Hello Matti,
I think Finland should make you an honorary ambassador — just look at all the people who are learning about your beautiful country through your blog! Thank you for all of the fascinating posts you’ve shared with me. You make my world and my heart bigger with every one of them.